Chavez, Vietnam eye energy deals

Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president, has arrived in Vietnam for talks on energy as part of a tour dominated by countries known for their often-hostile relations with the United States.

31 Jul 2006 06:05 GMT

Chavez [left] has already met Fidel Castro in Cuba

Chavez has just finished a state visit to Iran and has also visited Cuba, Belarus and Russia, where he finalised a major arms deal opposed byWashington.

During his two-day trip to Hanoi, the Latin American leader isscheduled to stop at sites associated with the country's revolutionsand wars, including the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, a military museum anda war veterans' memorial.

He will also visit a rehabilitation centre forpeople suffering health defects blamed on Agent Orange,the toxic US wartimedefoliant.

Chavez is expected to sign an energyco-operation agreement during his meetings with Nguyen MinhTriet, the Vietnamese president.

Vietnam has major oil and gas reserves in the South China Sea, but so far lacks refining capacity, and in June an executive delegationof state-owned PetroVietnam travelled to Venezuela for an officialvisit.

Chavez and his hosts are also expected to boost their relationsin mining, agriculture, education and culture and information, statemedia reported.

Ambivalent relationship

Chavez has met several of Washington'sarch foes in his two-week tour, including Fidel Castro, the Cuban leader, and AlexanderLukashenko of Belarus, an ex-Soviet state US officials have called"the last dictatorship in Europe."

During his visit to Iran, part of what the US defines as the "axis of evil", Chavez declared that"history has shown that as long as we stay united, we can remainresistant and defeat imperialism".

However Vietnam's leaders have a more ambivalent relationship with the US, with politicians far less likely to join in condemnation of Washington at a time whenthey have been eager to build up diplomatic and economic ties withtheir one-time enemy.

Earlier this year, Vietnam and the US signed a tradedeal that removed a major hurdle in Vietnam's bid to integrate into the global economy by entering the World Trade Organisation laterthis year.

George Bush, the US president, is also expected to visit Hanoi inNovember, when Vietnam hosts an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperationsummit.